William t



(No Model.)

. W. T. HOUSTON.

APPARATUS FOR STEAMING AND RENOVATING PLUSHES, VELVETS,

OR OTHER FABRICS.

No. 544,897. Patent1ed}ug. 20, 1895.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM T. HOUSTON, OF AUSTIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HOPE REED CODY, OF SAME PLACE. I

APPARATUS FOR STEAMING AND RENOVATING PLUSH ES, lELVETS, OR OTHER FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,897, dated August 20, 1895.

Application filed November 8, 1894. Serial No. 528,252. (No modelii To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. HOUSTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Austin, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Apparatus for Steaming and Renovating Plushes, V elvets, or other Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to make a simple, practical, and eflicient device for the purpose of steaming, renovating, and otherwise treating plushes, velvets, silks, and all other kinds of fabrics; and my invention consists in the features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in elevation showing my device attached to the spout of an ordinary teakettle; Fig. 2, an enlarged sectional view of the device and a portion of the spout of the kettle; and Figs. 3 and e are sections taken on lines 3 and 4, respectively, of Fig. 2.

For the sake of brevity and'convenience in description I have shown my device as applied as an attachment to an ordinary tea kettle A, having the usual spout B, and I will now proceed to describe the same as used in that connection, although any other suitable and desirable steaming-vessel may be employed.

I first construct a conductor or deflector O, preferably hollow and cone-shaped and made of any suitable material, preferably thin sheet copper or brass and of the requisite and desirable proportions. For convenience I will hereinafter term this conductor a cone, without intending to limit myself to within a suitable distance of the base thereof,

as shown clearlyin Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. At an angle to the cone I run a suitable wire having a straight portion D, one of whose ends is soldered or otherwise securely retained in the apex of the cone. I then bend the wire at d to form a downwardly-extending portion D, the wire entering the interior of the cone at its next turn or deflection at d and bearing against or contacting the lower point or bottom of the slit 0, upon which it is preferably soldered or otherwise tance beyond the open mouth of the cone, as

shown in Fig. 2. This wire is of the proper gage and length, according to the size of the other parts for the particular purpose to which it is to be put. It will be understood that other means than the wire may be used to support the fabrics as they are being treated, although I prefer. the wire as the most economical and serviceable, and, furthermore, the shape of the Wire may be altered as desired.

My device being made as above set forth is applied in use as follows: The cone, whose open mouth is somewhat larger in diameter than the spout of the kettle or other steaming vessel, is pressed upon said spout, the free end of the wire entering the same. The loop presses upon the bottom interior surface of the spout and the end presses upon its side, (see Figs. 2 and 4,) acting in the manner of a spring, whereby the cone is held firmly to the spout. The steam from the kettle must therefore pass upward and forcibly through the slit or opening, which islocated substantially below the wire in substantially the same vertical plane. The office and function of the cone is to conduct and direct the steam in the proper manner and concentrate and force it through the narrow slit upon the fabrics which are to be treated. I/Vhen the attachment is thus placed upon the spout of a kettle the straight portion D of the wire assumes a horizontal position, and the velvet, plush, or other fabric F is then drawn back and forth uponitwhile the steam is being directed and forced toward its under face, as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this manner the fabric is not only renovated by the action of the steam, but is simultaneously ironed in order to remove wrinkles, 850., while being kept at the proper distance from the slit or opening.

By the use of my invention I am enabled to makea very inexpensive, simple, and serviceable device for the purpose specified, which device can be applied without alteration or inconvenience to any ordinary tea-kettle in domestic use. Furthermore, better results will be attained than by the old-fashioned way of steaming by means of wet cloths and hot irons, which is still the ordinary though laborious and unsatisfactory method in vogue.

Although I have described more or less precise forms and details of construction, I do not intend to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, proportion of parts, and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, and, furthermore, I contemplate using my invention wherever applicable.

I claim 1. A device for treating fabrics &c. comprising a steam conductor provided with a narrow unimpeded slit or opening for the pas sage of steam and a support arranged substantially above the opening.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an attachment for the spout of a kettle or other source of steam supply for the purpose of steaming or treating fabrics consisting of a cone provided with a narrow unimpeded slit or opening along its side through which the steam escapes or is forced.

3. A device of the class described comprising a steam conductor provided with a longitudinally extended opening and a wire supported by said conductor and arranged substantially above said opening, over which wire the fabrics to be treated are drawn.

4. A device for treating fabrics 850. comprising a hollow conductor open at one end and provided with a slit,said conductor being adapted to fit upon the spout of a steaming lower portion of the slit into the interior of the conductor and adapted to act as a spring when applied in use. a

6. A device for treating fabrics comprising a hollow cone provided with an opening and a wire arranged above said opening.

7. A device for treating fabrics comprising a hollow cone provided with a slit and awire having one of its ends secured in the apex of the cone, said wire extending at an angle from the cone.

8. In combination with the spout of a steaming vessel a hollow cone provided with a longitudinal opening, a wire having one of its ends secured in the apex of the cone and means for removably securing the cone to the spout of a vessel.

9. The combination of a hollow cone provided with a slit and a wire having one of its ends secured in the apex of the cone and having its other end entering through the slit into the interior of the cone and forming a spring therein.

10. The combination of a steam conductor 0 provided with a longitudinally extending slit 0 and a wire attached to said conductor and having a straight portion D, a portion D at an angle to said straight portion and a free portion D within the conductor.

11. A device for treating fabrics adapted to be attached to the spout of a kettle comprising a steam conductor provided with a slit therein and a wire attached to the conductor and extending therefrom at an angle, the free portion of said wire entering into the interior of the conductor through the lower part of the slit, such free portion being looped and curved to form a spring adapted to bear against the front inner surface of the spout and the extreme free end of the wire extending at an angle to the loop and adapted to press against one side of the spout whereby a doublespring is provided and the conductor securely held upon the spout.

WILLIAM T. HOUSTON. Witnesses:

HOPE REED CODY, SAMUEL E. HIBBEN. 

